The Writings of Sam Houston, Volume I

11

WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1826

28

1826 To WILLIAM J. WoRTHl

January 24, 1826. "Yours of the 20th has just come to hand. I have received it with great pleasure because it assures me that you are my Friend.~ I was not free from much solicitude on account of not hearing from you sooner. I was truly alarmed !east some 'snake had come across de Road for to make distarbance'. . .. I am making myself less frequent in the Lady World than I have been. · I must keep up my Dignity, or rather I must attend more to politics and less to love. . . ." 1 Portion of a letter from Houston to Major William J. Worth. The quota- tion given here is from an announcement advertising the Cohen Collection. February 5-6, 1929. The sale announcement reads: "Important Collection, including Washington letters and other rare Americana and a notable group of Whitman MSS. and First Editions, the property of William W. Cohen of New York City." The sale ,vas conducted by the American Art Associa- tion. This Sam Houston letter was listed thus: "Houston (Samuel). A. L. S. 'Sam Houston,' 4 pp. 4to. Washington, January 24, 1826. To Gen. Worth [Major William J. Worth.) DD (109) $120.00." No further information. ~William Jenkins Worth (March 1, 1794-May 7, 1849), was born at Hudson, New York, of Quaker parents. Upon the outbreak of the War of 1812, he entered the army as a first lieutenant _of the 23d Infantry, March 19, 1813_ After the close of the war he remained in the army. He became Commandant of West Point in 1828. In the Mexican War, Worth fought gallantly at Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma and in other battles, and was considered of the first quality as a soldier. He was Commandant of the Department of Texas. following the Mexican War, but his service in Texas was short, because he was prematurely cut off by cholera. He was married, September 18, 1818, to Margaret Stafford of Albany, New York, who with three sons and !'- daughter survived him. See the Dictiona1·y of Americcm Bfog1·aphy, XX. 536-537; also, Justin H. Smith, Our War With Mexico (2 Vols., passim).

SPEECH ON THE CONGRESS OF PAN AMA 1

[February 2, 1826] Mr. Houston then rose, and said, he should make some observa- tions on the proposition 2 now before the House, such as he thought he was in duty bound to make, having the misfortune not to concur in opinion with some of the gentlemen who had spoken on the subject. That this House should be in possession of the information required, was, he thought, very desirable. For his own part, he had no objection to receive it at the proper time,

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